In an crowded forest on an alien planet, two US Air Force officers run through carrying MP-5 submachine guns. They come to a hill and begin to climb it, eventually reaching the top where they take cover and crawl to meet another two Air Force officers. One is Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kawalsky, the other is Captain Kenneth Feretti. Kawalsky and Feretti are using their binoculars to monitor something in the distance not visible by the naked eye. One of the other officers taps Kawalsky on the back of his head, Kawalsky turns around.
"Sir."
"Correll, Did you signal Earth?"
"Yes sir, the gate address aligned perfectly, General West is ordering us to return ASAP."
"Damn..."
Kawalsky returns to his binoculars with Feretti, both look on as alien aircraft fly out of a vehicle identical to the ship Ra had on Abydos. Kawalsky slides backwards on his stomach and gets his gear together.
"Alright, let's get back to the stargate before we're spotted, we've been here five days too long."
Kawalsky and his men slide down the hill and run through the forest back in the direction of the temple housing the stargate. Alien aircraft screech over head, obviously conducting reconnaissance.
On a paved road somewhere in Colorado a US government car approaches the gates to the classified underground military base inside Creek Mountain. The driver rolls down his window and flashes his credentials to the guards, who wave him on. The car drives inside the mountain and vanishes from the light of the sun.
General Warren Osbert West stands with Major Paul Eckhart, awaiting the arrival of their guest. The government vehicle stops and the driver steps out and walks around the back of the car to open the door, out steps Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil. Colonel O'Neil walks around, he stands and salutes General West.
"General West."
"Jack. I'm glad you could come on such short notice."
"Well when I heard 'Project Giza' was still going on, I asked myself... why?"
General West smiles and cocks his head, not willing to deal out any information to O'Neil just yet. Jack picks up on this and nods his head. General West steps aside and motions for Jack to walk with him to the nearby elevator.
"So Jack, how is Washington treating you?"
"Good. How's the Stargate?"
Just as Jack says that the elevator doors close and the three Air Force officer descend down dozens of stories below ground.
In a briefing room within the facility, Colonel Kawalsky and Captain Feretti sit awaiting the arrival of the other men. The door to the room opens and the two stand as General West, Colonel O'Neil and Major Eckhart enter. O'Neil immediately recognizes the two men and nods to both of them as he sits down next to General West.
"Jack, you know Lieutenant Colonel Kawalsky and Captain Feretti."
"It was Lieutenant Feretti last time we met." Feretti smiles.
"It has been three years Colonel."
"Yes it has..."
Major Eckhart starts passing out folders with the Project Giza image branded onto them, after he's completed all five of the men open to the first image inside. The image is of a pyramid shaped ship, the same one Kawalsky and Feretti were observing weeks earlier.
"Colonel O'Neil, these are images are of a spacecraft Colonel Kawalsky's team monitored landing, less than three weeks ago on an alien world."
Jack is stunned and speechless, it takes him a minute.
"I was under the impression that this program had disbanded."
General West glances at Kawalsky, who leans forward.
"No Sir, Colonel Maybourne and myself have lead several mission off-world concurrently."
Jack begins to get a little agitated.
"Off-world? How long has this been going on?"
Major Eckhart closes his folder and crosses his hands.
"Our computers spit out a half dozen or so stargate addresses each year, for the past two years. We've had a successful count of eleven missions to... eleven alien worlds... not including your mission to Abydos."
Jack pulls out a cigarette and a zippo lighter, he lights his cigarette and slams his lighter closed and places it back in his pocket. Taking a moment to let it all sink in.
"So why am I here?"
Kawalsky flips to nearly the end of the folder and slides it in front of Jack.
"The last four images in your folder are of detailed shots, of the alien spacecraft similar to Ra's. Feretti and Staff Sergeant Arguello were able to obtain these shots during an up close recon op. None of our guys can make out the hieroglyphs, they all say it's like nothing they've ever seen before."
"Colonel Kawalsky and Captain Feretti assure me that there's only one person they know of who could possibly translate the alien writing."
Finally it dawns on O'Neil.
"Jackson."
Feretti stands and walks a few feet to the wall where he hits a button opening a blast door, revealing the large ringed Stargate in the chamber below. Jack stands and walks over to get a better view as he takes a puff of his cigarette.
"...Hello beautiful."
General West stands and walks over to the opened window joining the men.
"We've already sent a probe... the gate is still active. You will lead a team back to Abydos, Colonel, consisting of Kawalsky, Feretti and Lieutenant Correll... Find out if Jackson can translate the text... if he can, bring him back here."
Jack turns and looks at General West and nods in agreement... any chance to go back through the stargate again.
In the Gate Room, Colonel O'Neil and his team assemble armed, geared and ready for their mission. In the briefing room above General West and Major Eckhart stand watching on as the gate is dialed.
In the Gate Control Room several technicians sit activating their computers and monitors for yet another attempt to activate the stargate to another world. A phone call is received from General West giving the final approval. This is it... the inner ring of the Stargate begins to spin clockwise stopping at each corresponding symbol for Abydos. The surrounding area begins to shake as the energy surges through the gate.
The head control operator starts reading off as the symbols get closer and closer to the final, point of origin.
"Chevron five locked in place... Chevron six locked!... Chevron seven... locked!"
A giant pool of energy pours out of the gate, Jack is in a daze. It's been three long years of trying to forget about the program... and the Stargate all together. The protruding pool of energy retracts and the gate stabilizes. Colonel O'Neil and his men walk onto the metal ramp leading to the gate itself, looking on in amazement... a quality none of the others share. This will be, for most of them, just another jump through the gate. O'Neil stops on the ramp and turns to catch a final glance of General West before he proceeds up to the event horizon of the gate.
Sticking the butt of his gun into the pool of energy swirling about O'Neil takes a brief moment to reminisce. Before he finally takes the plunge into the gate and dematerializes... once again.
Coming to on the other side on Abydos, Jack forgot about the excruciating pain and cold of coming through the other side of the gate. Kawalsky rushes to his side.
"You Ok Colonel?"
O'Neil gets to his feet and takes a look around the all too familiar room.
"Yeah... Yeah, Kawalsky I'm fine."
Before the men can take proper defensive positions a shadow is seen coming down the ramp above. O'Neil signals the men to take cover as he kneels behind the probe, cocking his gun and taking aim. To his surprise, its none other then Doctor Daniel Jackson himself.
"Colonel O'Neil?"
"Jackson. What are you doing here?"
Daniel looks around the room.
"I live here?"
Feretti stands from his position like the others and approaches Daniel.
"Wife kick ya out."
"Can it Feretti. Jackson what are you doing here with the gate?"
Daniel points to the probe.
"I removed the last one... this one was sent a few days ago. I was informed and have been here ever since."
Kawalsky pats Daniel on the back.
"Expecting us were ya?"
Colonel O'Neil interrupts the warm welcome and gets right to the point.
"Jackson... is there somewhere we can talk?"
Daniel nods and guides the four up the ramp and into the atrium area. The blinding light from the sun coated desert is obvious even once entering the atrium. O'Neil, Jackson and the others step outside... sand, as far as the eye can see.
"Yeah, I've missed this place."
Feretti taps Kawalsky on the shoulder.
"Not me. I've got bad enough memories without having to return to 'em."
"Yeah, no kiddin'"
The five reach the bottom of the stone ramp leading out of the temple. Lieutenant Correll turns around and for the first time she sees the massive pyramid they were just in, as well as the many moons of the Abydos sky.
"Wow."
Feretti walks over to her.
"You should've been here last time."
Daniel leads the four up a ways to a make shift fort established some time earlier. He motions for the men to enter one of the tents as a person runs up to him and whispers something into his ear. Jack immediately recognizes the person as Skaara.
"O'Neil..."
"Hey, Skaara."
"Jack would you have a seat inside... I'll be right back."
"Jackson this is pretty important. I came all the way to the other side of the universe for this."
"I know, It'll just take a second. Skaara why don't you show them in. I'll return shortly."
In a tent within the small fort outside the temple on Abydos a few people tend to the needs of the soldiers as they sit around a table. Daniel enters and finds Kawalsky and O'Neil with photos sitting in front of them. Daniel eases the Abydonian people out of the tent, the last fills Jack's cup with water before leaving.
"Sorry about that, I've become a sort of... advisor. When problems arise they come to me."
"That's Ok Jackson. Gave me time to catch up with Skaara."
Jackson walks around and sits across from the two.
"So what are you doing here? It's been what... three years?"
"Can you translate something for us?"
Daniel is hesitant...
"That why you're here? You need my help? Thought you had just stopped by to say, hi."
O'Neil shakes his head.
"Sorry Jackson, not this time."
Kawalsky slides the photo's over towards Daniel, who picks them up and starts look over them. He remains silent for what seems like an hour, Kawalsky and O'Neil share glances as Daniel takes his time.
"Well Jackson can you translate it?"
"...It's similar to a text inscribed on the walls of one of the ancient catacombs... What the hell is this?"
O'Neil takes a minute.
"...It was taken on another world by a human team, who traveled through the Stargate, who accidentally found it."
"It? What?"
"...It's a ship Jackson. Just like the one Ra had."
Daniel places his hand over his mouth in shock. O'Neil cracks his neck and picks up one of the pictures.
"Can you translate what this says?"
Daniel Takes a minute to regain his composure.
"Well it says here that they come from... Heliopolis... in the name of... Nephthys."
"Nephthys?"
"Uh... Yeah, Nephthys, also known as the Useful Goddess or the Excellent Goddess because she represented divine assistance on a number of levels... these pictures aren't very good."
Kawalsky rolls his eyes, O'Neil just shakes his head and returns his attention back to Daniel.
"In Egyptian mythology was she related to Ra in anyway?"
"Well... Nephthys was seen as occupying the night-bark on the journey of Ra, particularly when he entered Duatat the transitional time of dusk, or twilight."
"Duatat?"
"--Where the sun traveled from west to east during the night and where dead souls were judged by Anubis. Now, some myth-cycles and inscriptions talk about a union between Nephthys and Ra. There isn't much on the matter but it is worth noting."
Colonel O'Neil leans forward towards Jackson.
"So it's possible that Ra and this... Nephthys, are connected?"
Kawalsky finally speaks up on the matter interrupting Jackson before he can speak.
"But I thought Ra was the 'last' of his race?"
"Yes, it is true that Ra was inscribed as the last of his race, but I've found that to be a misconception. You see, I've had some years now to study the ancient texts and writings, I believe that Ra was the most powerful or his race... not the 'last'. Yes. He was dying and he took over an Egyptian boy as his host, but there's nothing to say his wife... or lover couldn't do the same. I mean it's been thousands of years who knows whats happened."
O'Neil and Kawalsky share a glance, then they both stand, Kawalsky exits the tent and O'Neil tosses a bag he sees laying on the floor into Jackson's arms. Daniel looks at Jack as if he were crazy.
"Pack your bags... You're coming back to Earth with us."
...TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 2!!!